The Nightmare Experience of a Useless Person

"Sister Xiulian, are you going to sleep here tonight?" Ah Li rubbed her eyes, clearly half of her consciousness had already drifted into a dream.

"Mmm, Sister Xiulian will sleep next to you today."

Xiulian, whose true intention was not in the wine, squeezed into the large bed, pulled Ali into her arms, and stared at Qingjun with wide eyes. When Qingjun turned around, their eyes met.

Xiulian's lips curved into a familiar smile once again. Her round eyes glanced at Qingjun's lips, as if she had discovered some secret, before narrowing into a shallow slit.

"Ever since Qingjun came back last night, her lips seem to have been swollen!"

Qingjun remained silent, only reaching out to touch her lips. They were soft and warm, seemingly no different from usual.

"Tell me secretly, is it a success?" Her squinted eyes widened again, revealing a look of anticipation.

"What has it become?"

"Tsk, still pretending with me? Of course we're a couple!"

Are they a couple now? Does this count as being a couple?

Kissing is a man's way of courting a woman, but although Qingjun has taken on a female form, she is not an ordinary woman and does not menstruate, so she cannot bear children for Jiang Zhiyang. Therefore, they should not be able to become a couple.

Seeing Qingjun's clueless expression, Xiulian was somewhat disappointed, but she still patiently asked, "Did he kiss you?"

"Um."

How do you feel?

What did it feel like? Jiang Zhiyang's features involuntarily surfaced in my mind: the dampness, the scent of soapberry, the warmth of his embrace…

"My heart is racing... all I can hear is my heart pounding."

"Is my sister sick? This is how I feel when I can't sleep." The baby in her arms twisted its body and poked out a little face.

"Weren't you asleep?" Xiulian reached out and tidied the messy hair on Ali's forehead.

"I want to hear it too." She giggled, then shyly buried her face in Xiulian's warm arms.

"Those wristbands on Zhiyang's wrist, were they a gift from you?" Xiulian was amused, but she still wouldn't let go of Qingjun.

"Um."

"I can tell just by looking at him. Look at how smug he is. At dinner, he sits at the end of the table but insists on stretching his hand to the top, as if he wants to stick his wrist right up to everyone's eyes so that we can all be envious."

"It's not that exaggerated."

Exaggeration? Is it exaggerated? For several days in a row, Jiang Zhiyang was like a wolf that had gotten a bone; instead of eating it, he insisted on carrying the bone around in the yard.

When combing Qingjun's hair, Xiulian was very skilled and combed it neatly. Jiang Zhiyang insisted on taking the comb and carefully, with utmost care, finally managed to untangle the braid, which earned him a beating from Xiulian.

During class, Qingjun sat under the peach tree as usual, listening to the lecture. Jiang Zhiyang was lecturing at the front, but he unusually got up from his seat and swayed back and forth, sitting close to Qingjun again. Qingjun tried to shoo him away, but his bottom seemed to be glued to the ground, and she couldn't push him away. Fortunately, the children were listening attentively, and none of them turned around.

Upon returning home today, Jiang Zhiyang furtively called out to Xiulian through the window, "Tell your sister Qingjun to come to the backyard!"

Qingjun went to the appointment alone, but did not see anyone. The children were playing happily in the inner room, and the backyard was quiet, with only a lantern flickering in the breeze.

Qingjun raised her hand, and there were light, drifting raindrops. In the dim light, they looked like stars from the sky, bringing a dazzling sight.

Suddenly, the night deepened, the shooting stars faded, the coldness on her fingertips disappeared, and Qingjun looked up to see only the candlelight of the lanterns, which was hazy and diffused through the wheat-green oil paper, casting a soft light.

It was Jiang Zhiyang. She turned around and bumped into a warm embrace.

"This oil-paper umbrella is for you."

Qingjun took it; the handle still retained a trace of warmth.

"How is it? Do you like it? I used to be an apprentice at Old Peng's umbrella shop for a while. I noticed it's been raining a lot lately, so I made you an umbrella."

The umbrella ribs are tightly fitted, the umbrella rings are sturdy, and the exquisite craftsmanship is surprisingly the work of Jiang Zhiyang, a short-term apprentice.

Qingjun took his hand, and sure enough, there were cuts of all sizes everywhere she looked. In that instant, it was as if a cold wind was blowing in her face, making Qingjun's nose sting. But before she could say anything to express her heartache, Jiang Zhiyang opened his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Do you like it? I spent a long time choosing the color of this umbrella, and finally picked this wheat green. It's vibrant, full of spring, and suits you best!"

Unfortunately, before Qingjun could reply, Jiang Shuo happened to pass by the kitchen. He saw that the umbrella in Qingjun's hand was exquisitely made, so he took it and twirled it twice in front of the light.

In the shadows, their hands parted.

"This umbrella is really nice, but the surface is a bit plain. How about I paint a bamboo painting for Qingjun?"

The green wheat and black bamboo complement each other well. Qingjun didn't think much of it and simply said "good".

Why? Didn't she already know? Wasn't she going to give him her unique love? Why bother with other people?

Isn't everything that happened that night clear enough?

In an instant, the warmth beside him vanished, turning into a block of ice that made Qingjun shiver.

Jiang Zhiyang remained silent, feeling awkward. He shook his hand, turned around, and left.

Oh no! Qingjun's heart tightened, but he couldn't catch up.

After learning about Jiang Zhiyang's past, his emotions became transparent. For example, now that Qingjun knows he is angry, he doesn't even want to sit next to him at dinner. With so many people around and so much chatter, Qingjun couldn't even find a chance to coax him.

However, despite the commotion, the necessary care was still shown. Before the girls had even gone to bed, Jiang Zhiyang went into the room early, closed the windows tightly, and even laid an extra blanket over Qingjun's spot.

"My precious darling is so delicate!" Xiulian closed the book and deliberately leaned close to Jiang Zhiyang to tease him.

"Qingjun has just recovered from a serious illness. I'm just worried that if she catches a cold again before she's fully recovered, she'll suffer again."

Xiulian shook her head. "A virtuous husband and loving father, but to me, he seems more like a resentful husband."

Jiang Zhiyang didn't evade the question, but only sighed deeply, "Xiulian, tell me, what exactly happened? We've already had physical intimacy, and we were supposed to get married afterward, but now..."

He took two steps closer and lowered his voice even further, "Jiang's intentions are obvious to everyone, yet Qingjun doesn't seem to want to avoid suspicion. Is it because my heart isn't sincere enough, and she still won't accept me?"

Xiulian reached out and massaged Jiang Zhiyang's shoulders in a comforting manner. "In my opinion, although Sister Qingjun is older, she is simple-minded. I suppose this is the first time she has a sweetheart, and she is still a bit clueless in many ways."

"First time having someone you like?" Jiang Zhiyang loved to hear this. In an instant, his bitterness turned to sweetness, and he almost couldn't suppress his smile.

"So what should I do? Spend more time with her? Or should I just tell her directly, and wonder if she'll think I'm petty?"

"I have a plan," Xiulian whispered in Jiang Zhiyang's ear, lowering her head.

"you say."

"I have a plan."

What is it? Hesitant to speak, Jiang Zhiyang turned his head and met Xiulian's expectant expression, as if she were waiting to be bribed.

"One copy."

"I want the latest one. You're not allowed to buy me an old copy." Xiulian pulled hard, almost knocking Jiang Zhiyang over.

"Quickly, what's the plan?" Jiang Zhiyang steadied himself and nodded vigorously.

"Tomorrow afternoon, go to Matchmaker Du to arrange a blind date for you. Remember, sneak out and don't let Sister Qingjun follow you. Leave the rest to me!"

"A blind date? We've already gone through that, how can I go on a blind date?"

"Fake blind date! Fake blind date!"